Railway-traffic-controlling apparatus



July 3, 1928. 1.675.587"

D.'G. ACKERLY RAILWAY TRAFFIC CONTROLLING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 14, 1926810w rc leame and J'Iaw picklup Cal/(ton my a.

INVENTOR I Patented July 3, 1928.

UNITED- STATES PATENTOFFICE.

.ZDONALD e. AC IER Y, or WILKINSBUBG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB T O THEUNION SWITCH & SIGNAL COMPANY, or swIssvALE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATIONor PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY-TRAFFIC-CONTROLLING arrana'rus.

Application filed September 14, 1926. Serial No. 135,463.

My invention relates railway traliie controlling apparatus, andparticularly to apparatus of the'typei wherein traflic governingmechanism is controlled in accordance with coded or periodicallyinterrupted current.

I will describe twotorms of apparatus embodying my invention, and willthen point out the novel features thereof in claims. I c i -In theaccompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view showing oneform ofapparatus embodyin my invention, and Fig. 2 is a chart showing therelative lengths of periodic current supply to give two ditfer entindications. Fig. 3 is a view showing a modification of the apparatusshown in Fig. 1 and also embodying my invention.

Similar reference characters reterto similar parts in each of the views.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the reference character A designates a mainrelay which is periodically energized for relatively long in tervals orfor relatively short intervals, ac-v cording to the indication which itis desired that the apparatus shall give. As shown in Fig. 2,energization of this relay for relatively long intervals will cause-aproceed indicationto be given, whereas energization of this relay forrelatively short intervals will cause a caution indication to be given.Re lay A is quick acting in both pick up and release, so that thecontacts of this relay :t'ollow very closely the application andinterruption of current in the relay winding.

The reference character P designates a pole-changing relay which hasboth slow re lease and slow pick up characteristics. 'When relay A isclosed, relay P is energized by virtue of a circuit which will beobvious from the drawing, and it relay A is operating in response to theproceed code, then each time that contact 1 is closed relay P will beenergized for; a period long enough to cause this relay to close. On theother hand, it relay A is operating in response to the caution code,then each time that contact 1 is closed relay P will be energized butnot for a period long enough to cause this relay to close. Owing to theslow release characteristic of re lay P, when this relay is closed, dueto the proceedcode, it remains closed during the intervals between theimpulsest'orming that code. i v v The referencecharacter C designates aslow-release relay, which relay, however,

picksup quickly upon the application of current to its winding. Thisrelay is controlled by a contact 4 in relay A, which contact is closedmomentarily whilerelayAis closing and also while it-is opening, butwhich contact isopen while the ,rela is closed and also while it isopen. Bela (Twill, therefore, be

energized each time re ay A'closes or opens during either the proceed orthe caution code, and owing to the slow-release characteristic of relayC, it will remain closed during the intervals between impulses in eithercode.

The reference character D designates a polarized relay which iscontrolled jointly by relays A, P and G. hen relay D is.enei'- gized innormal direction, it lights a proceed lamp G, when energized in reversedirection it lights a cautionlamp Y, and when deenergized it lights astop lamp R. for these lamps are obvious from the drawing. Thecharacteristics of relay D are such that it will close its normal orreverse con tact promptly when energized, but will hold such contactclosed during the intervals between impulses in either code. ,1 I

I will first assume that relay A is 0 erating in response to the proceedcode. lielays P and C are both closed, so that relay D is ener ized by acircuit which passes from terminal B of a suitable source of current,through front contact 2 of relay A, front contact 5 of relay P, windingof relay D, front contact 8 of relay G, front contact 6 of relay P,andfront contact?) of relay A to terminal 0 of the same source of current.

. delay D is then energized in thenormal di- The circuits periods ofenergization of relay A. The

circuit for relay D is then from terminal B, through front contact 2 ofrelay A, back contact 5 of relay P, contact 8 of relay C, windingofrelay D, back contact 7 of relay P, and front contact 3 of relay A toterminal 0. Relay D is therefore energized in the reverse direction, sothat the caution lamp Y is lighted- If relay A is continuouslydeenergized, relay C is open, so that the circuit for relay .D is open,and, consequently, the stop lamp R is lighted. If relay A iscontinuously energized, relay C is open, so that the circuit for relay Dis open and the stop lamp R is lighted. g

Referring now to Fig. '3, the apparatus shown in this view is the sameas that shown in Fig. 1, in so far as the control of the polechangingrelay P is conrerned, but the slowrelea'sing relay (1 has been omittedand the function of the latter relay is accomplished by two contacts 10'and 11 m relay A. Each of these contacts is'closed while relay A isclosing and also while relay 'A is, opening, but each isop'en when relayA is fully closed and also when it'is fully opened. The circuit for thepolarized relay D is from terminal B, through contact 10 of relay A,contact 5 of relay P, winding of relay contact 6 of relay P, and contact11 of relay A. s The operation of the apparatus shown in F lg. 3, is asfollows: When relay A is operating in response to the proceed code,relay P is closed, and eachtime that relay A closes or opens, relay Dwill be momentarily energized in the normal direction so that theproceed lamp G is lighted. When relay A is operating in response to thecaution code, however, rela P will be open, so that relay D willenergized in the reverse direction with the result that the caution lampY will be lighted. It is, of course, understood that, as in Fig. '1,relay D is so designed that it will hold its normal or its reversecontact closed during the intervals between impulses in either code. 7

Although .I have herein shown and described only two forms of apparatusembodying "my invention, it is understood that various changes andmodifications may be made therein within the "scope of the appendedclaims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is:

1. Railway traflic controlling apparatus comprising a main relayperiodical y closed for relatively shortor relatively long intervas, apole-changing relay energized while said main relay isclosed butarranged to clos'e'o'nly when the main relay is closed for rela'tivelylong intervals, a polarized relay,

'mean's operating when said ma'in relay is closed to energize saidpolarized relay in one direction or the other according as saidpolechanging relay is open or'closed, and trailic governing mechanismcontrolled by said polarized relay.

2. Railway trafiic controlling apparatus comprising a main relayperiodieally closed for relatively short or relatively long intervals, apole changing rela energized while said main relay is closed ut arrangedto close only when the main relay is closed for relatively longintervals, a polarized relay, a slow release relay energized while saidmain relay is closing or opening but de-energized while the main relayis open or closed, means operating While said main relay and said slowreleaserelay are both closed to: energize said polarized relay in onedirection orthe other according as said pole changing relay is open orclosed, and traffic vernin g mechanism controlled bv said arized relay.Y

3. Railway tratiic controlling apparatus comprising a main relayperiodically closed for relatively short or relatively long intervals, apole-changing relay energized while said main relay is closed butarrangedgto close only when the main relay is closed for relatively longintervals, :1 slow release relay energized whie said main relayisclosing or opening but de energized while the main relay is open orclosed, and tralfic governing mechanism controlled b the contacts, ofsaid pole-changing relay an by said slow release relay. v

4. Railway traflic controlling apparatus comprising normally Opencontacts periodically closed for relatively short or relatively longintervals, a pole-chan'g' relay energized while said contacts are c osedbut arranged to close only when the contracts are closed for relativelylong intervals, a slow release relay energized while said contacts areclosing or opening but not while said contacts are closed or open, andtraiflic governing mechanism controlled by said polechianging relay andby said. slow release re av.

5. Railway t raffic controlling apparatus comprising a main relayperiodically closed for relatively short or relatively long intervals, aole changing relay energized while said main relay is closed butarrangedto close only when the main relay is closed for relatively longintervals, a slow-releasing polarized relay, means operating while saidmain relay is closing and'also whileit is opening to energize saidpolarized relay in one direction or the other according as saidpolechanging relay is open or closed, and traflic governing mechanismcontrolled by said polarized relay. a

In testimony whereof I afllx my signature.

